Super Neon Blue German Longfin Ram - Microgeophagus ramirezi

Super Neon Blue German Longfin Ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)

The Super Neon Blue German Longfin Ram is an ornamental long-finned form of the ram cichlid, valued for its vivid electric-blue colour, warm golden undertones and flowing finnage. It makes a superb focal fish in a warm, peaceful tropical aquarium, but it is still a relatively delicate dwarf cichlid that benefits from very stable water quality and careful tankmate selection. The scientific name is Mikrogeophagus ramirezi; the spelling “ramirez” is a typo.

Common Name:
Super Neon Blue German Longfin Ram. This is an ornamental long-finned aquarium form of the ram cichlid.

Scientific Name (Latin):
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

Maximum Size:
Up to 5–7 cm in aquarium care references, while FishBase lists a maximum of 4.2 cm standard length.

Water Type:
Freshwater.

Origin / Natural Habitat:
This variety is kept in the aquarium trade as an ornamental strain, but the species naturally comes from the Orinoco River basin of Venezuela and Colombia, where it inhabits warm, slow-moving waters over soft substrates with vegetation and cover.

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 26–30°C
pH Range: 5.0–7.0
Hardness: soft water, ideally below around 6–8 dH

Temperament:
Generally peaceful, but like many dwarf cichlids it can become territorial when breeding. It is usually best kept as a male-female pair or in a carefully planned peaceful community.

Diet:
Omnivorous with a strong preference for small meaty foods. Offer quality micro pellets or fine granules alongside frozen or live foods such as daphnia, bloodworm, Artemia and similar protein-rich foods.

Minimum Tank Size:
A practical long-term recommendation is around 70–90 litres for a pair, with more space preferred in a community aquarium. FishBase lists a minimum aquarium size of 60 cm, and community setups benefit from extra floor space and territory breaks.

Behaviour & Activity:
This is a small, elegant cichlid that spends much of its time in the lower to middle levels of the aquarium, investigating décor and holding a small territory once settled. It is a substrate spawner, with eggs typically laid on flat stones or leaves, and both parents may participate in brood care.

Aquarium Category:
Semi-Aggressive / Specialist
Best kept with peaceful, non-nippy fish that enjoy very warm, soft water, such as calm tetras and other gentle community species with similar requirements. Avoid fin-nippers, boisterous barbs, larger aggressive cichlids and species that prefer cooler water. During breeding, pairs can become territorial and may push other bottom-area fish away from their chosen spawning site, so caves, plants and visual barriers are important.

Special Requirements or Care Notes:
This fish does best in a mature, well-maintained aquarium with excellent water quality, stable temperature, soft water and plenty of plants, caves or visual barriers. Rams are widely regarded as sensitive to poor water quality, so they are much less forgiving than many standard community fish.

Suitable for:
Intermediate fishkeepers. Although peaceful, this species is often recommended for more experienced aquarists because of its sensitivity and need for consistently warm, clean, soft water.

Availability:
Regular in trade. Ram cichlids and their ornamental colour and fin forms are widely kept and commonly sold in the aquarium hobby.

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Please note that Mother Nature is a wonderful thing, and variation in patterns and colours will occur — that is part of the unique beauty of these animals.